Horticultural Worker

Job description

Propagate plants from cuttings. Plant, cultivate, and harvest fruit bearing plants, trees, vines and bushes by hand or machine. Operate, repair and maintain nursery vehicles, tractors, tractor drawn machinery and self-propelled machinery. Use hand and garden tools to plant, cultivate, and harvest plants, trees, vines and bushes. Space and prepare planting areas, greenhouses and fields. Insert stakes and string for spacing. Mix potting soil and fill trays. Spray, weed, fertilize, water, prune, thin, count and check plants, trees, and bushes. Cut and transplant seedlings, cuttings, trees and bushes. Strip leaves and branches off of plant, place branches in hole and cover up branches with dirt. During the winter, dig up buried branches and prepare bare roots for shipping or transplant. Transplant or pot, space, label and tag plants. Workers must keep pace while transplanting within an assembly line on a conveyor belt. Place plants, trays and/or pots onto or take off of moving line. Ride a transplanter and feed plant into cup to be planted. Walk behind transplanter to count and check plants. Apply bamboo and metal rods to ensure quality of plants. Using order forms or according to supervisor's instructions workers will select, harvest, prepare and load plants for shipping. Must assure accurate identification and count of plants when pulling orders to load onto trucks. Assemble boxes and box bare root plants and load for shipping. Record information about plants and plant growth. Inform supervisors of the presence of insects, disease or quality concerns. Handle mulch, haul and spread soil, fertilizer and other materials to condition soil using carts, shovels, wheelbarrows and tractors. Load and unload plants, bushes, trees, tools, and materials. Inspect plants leaves and note their coloring to detect the presence of insects or disease. Install, repair, maintain and operate irrigation equipment and climate control systems. Regulate greenhouse conditions, and indoor and outdoor irrigation systems. Clean and maintain containers, materials, supplies, and grounds. When pruning or thinning, limbs must not be torn from the tree, nor should limbs be completely stripped of leaves. Work with other workers to cover greenhouses. Workers are also responsible for nursery sanitation duties including cleaning work areas, picking up trash and sweeping floors. As a minor activity, workers will bag nursery grown grain seed on conveyor and stack bags on pallet. Assist in construction of nursery buildings and repair nursery facilities. Workers with a valid license and doctor's certificate may transport other workers and be offered additional hours. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker's ability to perform the job. Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. Employer reserves the right to discharge an obviously unqualified worker, malingerer or recalcitrant worker who is physically able but is unwilling to perform the work necessary for the employer to grow a premium quality product, or for any other lawful reason.

Employer may request, but not require, workers to work more than the stated daily hours and/or on a worker's Sabbath or federal holidays. Worker must report to work at designated time and place each day. Daily or weekly work schedule may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, and other factors. Employer will notify workers of any change to start time.

Workers will work Monday-Thursday from 7:30 until 4:00, Friday from 7:30 until 12:00 and Saturday from 7:30 until 1:00. Workers will have 7.5 hours Monday through Thursday, 4.5 hours on Friday, and 5.5 hours on Saturday.
Workers should expect occasional periods of little or no work because of weather, crop or other conditions beyond the employer's control.

Special Requirements

Three months of verifiable nursery work experience required. Lift, carry and load up to 50 lbs. of boxed plants, fertilizer or materials. Walk, sit, stand, reach and stoop for extended periods of time. Repeatedly push and pull carts filled with fertilizer or planting materials. Work outside in extremely hot, cold, and/or wet conditions. Manual dexterity required. Employer is a drug-free workplace. Drug testing is conducted post-hire at the employers expense and is not part of the interview process.